


Where in the World is...

by GGeek, magicmumu



Series: Geography Lessons [2]
Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29616156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GGeek/pseuds/GGeek, https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicmumu/pseuds/magicmumu
Summary: Erin (magicmumu) wrote me a delightful one-shot -The Dreams Caper- and this picks up where it left off.Takes place shortly after Julia leaves A.C.M.E. in “Day of the Dead Caper,” Season 3, Episode 2. Canon divergent as we haven’t finished the show yet!
Relationships: JuleThief - Relationship, Julia "Jules" Argent/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Series: Geography Lessons [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2187633
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Where in the World is...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [magicmumu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicmumu/gifts).



Julia very carefully did not let herself look at the little white card for the rest of the night and into the next day. 

She went about her usual weekend morning routine: finishing up at the café, returning books to the Bodleian History Faculty Library, and walking along the river with her camera. The warm sun and pleasant breeze settled her nerves, and she found herself matching the leisurely pace of the strolling tourists and locals who claimed this stretch of the riverside path as a bit of a private retreat. 

A flutter of wings caught her eye, and she lifted the camera just in time to capture a heron lifting from the water and gliding away on a thermal, not unlike a certain enigmatic thief of her acquaintance.

-

She had first taken up photography at university, initially to create a record of her time there for posterity, but soon discovering a more interesting use: people-watching. She had quickly learned that observing people with a lens between them afforded her a useful degree of invisibility. A stranger staring at someone was creepy; a girl with a camera was either a tourist or an artist, easily dismissed as background texture as they went about their lives. 

She had found herself making observations methodically - _1.8m, 13 stone, 40’s, red flannel jacket, short brown hair, heavy boots; 1.6m, 10 stone, 30’s, blonde, heels, blue silk dress, pearl earrings_ \- writing them down in a small notebook, timestamped. When reviewing that day’s pictures, she would compare her notes to what the camera had actually captured.

Over time, she had expanded her field of vision to include multiple people - _fraternity brothers, matching haircuts and jumpers, one stumbling_ \- surroundings - _Tom Tower, locked during final examinations_ \- sounds and smells - _chips seller, pigeon feed, strong perfume covering cigarette smoke_ \- and individual expressions and potential motivations for actions - _mid-20’s, long red hair, extra makeup, tight-set mouth, hurrying with a garment bag; new job, late for important presentation?_

-

Leaving the river behind, Julia packed away her camera and headed back to her apartment, thinking about the behavior and possible motivations for _early 20’s, red fedora and trench, soft blue-grey eyes, silky voice, showing up randomly at cafés to make cryptic offers to former Interpol agents._ Even after crossing paths several times, the dots still wouldn’t connect. It could be a trap or a recruitment tactic. Carmen might be planning revenge or trying to use Julia to gather confidential intel for V.I.L.E. Or just for herself? Was she even part of V.I.L.E.?

No matter how many times Julia turned it over in her mind, there was no way to be sure why Carmen had reached out.

She only knew the reasons she was hoping for.

-

A few days after she had resigned from A.C.M.E., Julia had taken an evening walk down the lamp-lit boulevard along the waterfront, enveloped in the soft chattering of birds and the low murmur of voices and music from nearby restaurants. With one step, she second-guessed her decision. With the next, she was sure it had been correct.

This had continued for quite some time, until a new sound unfolded in the periphery of her attention: a soft sigh of displaced air that soon materialized into the silhouette of a small figure landing in a park a few yards ahead. Julia’s heart had stuttered, breath catching, skin prickling with anticipation.

 _It was Carmen. She was right there._ And not just popping up to grab Julia by the elbow in the middle of a case to make some inscrutable comments about whatever was going on. She had just stood there calmly, watching Julia approach.

“Hi, Jules.” 

_Red leather jacket, brown hair ~blowing gently in the breeze~, smiling ~with beautifully soft lips~, holding... flowers?_

Julia had blinked, slowing down.

Yes, definitely flowers.

Carmen’s smile had grown wider at her hesitation, and then she had stepped forward, closing the short distance between them. 

“Are those... for me?” Julia had asked.

Carmen had nodded and contemplated the bouquet, suddenly unwilling to meet Julia’s eyes. 

“Daffodils, or narcissus, are native to meadows and woods in southern Europe and North Africa and the Western Mediterranean, particularly the Iberian Peninsula. They’re typically associated with self-reflection, forgiveness, and-“ she paused, finally looking up and catching Julia’s eyes with a twinkle, “new beginnings.”

-

Back in her flat, having fallen asleep while staring at the white card propped up by her bedside lamp, Julia’s dreams were once again filled with chases, uncertainty, and brushes of soft fingers against hers. She woke suddenly, her body tense from the ghost of adrenaline.

Enough. If she didn’t at least try to get some answers, if she didn't take this chance, she would regret it forever.

Decision made, she pulled herself out of bed and made a cup of tea, settling in at her small desk. As the sky slowly brightened and birds stirred in the pre-dawn light, Julia got to work.

-

In the end, the numbers were a straightforward Caesar Shift that revealed GPS coordinates, latitude and longitude painting a bright red X on the map, daring her to take the next step towards tantalizing possibility.

If she was brave enough.

**Author's Note:**

> The flowers in the flashback are specifically Narcissus Barrett-Browning named after the Victorian poets and lovers, Elizabeth Barrett and John Browning.


End file.
